Counting Days
by Halcyon.Promise
Summary: Eric is left hurt in the wake of an accident at the fence. Stuck in Amity to recuperate, what does a bored Dauntless leader do when all he's got at his disposal are Amity? ...Harass the locals, clearly.


**A/N: This is from a prompt given to me by societalfailure over on tumblr. Basically: Eric is hurt in an accident and cared for by an Amity woman. Hilarity ensues. Romance-y things on the side. (It's..maybe sort of romance-y if you squint? Eric had some opinions on this scenario. He sort of took it and ran with it.)**

**You can find me over on tumblr at paradigmflaws. Drop by and say hello! I love hearing from people. Also, if you follow me on tumblr you generally get fun pictures. I'm accepting prompts and requests.  
**

_Day One_

Consciousness was a hurried thing, sweeping in like a summer storm from the west. One moment, his thoughts had been blessedly blank. The next, awareness flooded through him.

He was laying down. He wasn't in Dauntless. Someone was sitting by the bed.

Even as he came to those conclusions, Eric was shoving himself up to stand. It should have been a fluid movement, his feet already swinging down to the ground as he rose from the mattress. The routine of habit was anything but. Instead of finding himself on his feet and striding towards the door, the Dauntless leader found himself (at best) sitting up, a hand against a wall the only thing keeping him propped up enough to remain vertical.

"It's suspected you have a concussion." His pounding head could have told him that, but as he went to snarl a reply, the pulsing increased. What was meant to be a scathing retort only came out as a groan.

He shut his eyes, leaving him unsuspecting to the comfortingly cool touch that cupped his cheek moments after. Her other hand laced its fingers through his that still remained braced against the wall. Gently, she coaxed him down to the bed again.

"It's alright," she murmured quietly. "We've discussed the matter. You'll stay at Amity until you're fit to travel. Erudite said they would send someone to look at you when they were able."

Eric was bracing himself to demand answers. The sharp tones that were characteristic of the leader would strike obedience into the heart of the Amity. It was the only satisfaction he could wrap himself in as blackness took him again.

_Day Three_

He leaned against the door frame to the bathroom, arms crossed over his chest. Ink stood out in stark contrast against his skin as he glowered at the Amity in his way. "Move," he snarled.

"You shouldn't have showered yet! They said you should wait at least four days before you even think about getting up on your own!"

A snort of derision conveyed the Dauntless leader's feelings on that. If Amity wasn't going to get out of his way..

It wasn't a stretch for Eric. He straightened, looping a thickly muscled arm around the woman's waist. Physically setting her aside (settling her against his chest for a brief moment as he lifted her) he strode - barefoot - back into the room that had been designated as his.

..To be fair there were other beds in the dormitory-styled housing, but no one else was willing to come anywhere near the physically compromised Dauntless man. His temper only grew more foul as the days passed.

"You can't-!" she sputtered, glowering at him. "You shouldn't-!"

Eric sat down on his bed, resting his elbows comfortably against his knees. Raising a brow at her, muscles shifted in his torso as tension coiled in him. The action left the woman sputtering, incapable of getting out a coherent sentence. She stood in the door frame that Eric had recently vacated, gaping at him.

He grinned; a feral, malicious expression. "If you wanted a show," Eric mocked, the facsimile of friendliness in his voice more chilling than anything he had done to date, "you could've just said as much."

She spun on her heel and fled the room. Even her spine - significant, for an Amity - quailed in the face of confronting the Dauntless leader, removing the towel that she had been doing an admirable job of ignoring during her attempt at scolding him.

_Day Six_

"He has to leave!" Her voice was forceful. Hysteria hadn't trickled into the tone. Surprising, Eric considered thoughtfully. "He's fine. He can get on the train and go back to Dauntless. Their infirmary is better equipped for these types of recoveries, anyway. They're closer to Erudite for specialists if he needs them. It's in his best interests of he leaves."

'And yours,' the Dauntless leader thought with a wicked smile as he pushed open the door that he had been standing behind. Little Amity had been spooked ever since the aftermath of his shower.

It wasn't entirely her fault. Her hands were surprisingly gentle despite the callouses from years of familiar work. The touch was enough to evoke a strong, masculine response - and he hadn't bothered to hide it. Color creeped into her cheeks the first time before she could manage to justify a strategic retreat. She lingered in the threshold of the room, fighting every instinct she had that told her to run.

Obligation drove her in, though, over and over again. Drove her within range of the dangerously bored Dauntless man who wasn't going to do a thing to fight the arousal she evoked in him. If he had to suffer here, then his captors should, as well. Time and time again his fingers found the bare skin that her Amity summer's styles revealed. They looped gently around her ankle and squeezed. His palm settled over the curve of her hip. In one especially vivid memory, his nose had brushed against her collar bone as she leaned over him.

Striding out of the dormitory rooms, Eric stared down the cluster of Amity...well. The faction didn't have leaders, he thought with a scowl. Inefficient. Regardless, recognizable spokespeople from Amity were clustered loosely outside the door. He didn't bother with them.

His attention's razor-sharp intent honed directly onto her. Her eyes met his for a moment, the spine she had peeking through. But when Eric smiled, a toothy expression (his dark eyes were full of promise - _you underneath me, naked and vulnerable, your hands around my cock for as long as I let them before I take you apart, bit by bit_) her courage quailed.

Eric swung his attention to Johanna. "I'm leaving." It wasn't a request. As he pushed towards the exit though, he paused. Glancing over his shoulder, a wicked smile played over his features. "Although I might consider re-evaluating the state of the fence protocols. I'll let you know when you can expect me. It will be an extended stay."


End file.
